Churches

In 1887, the present day cypress St. Joseph Catholic Church was built. It was
placed under the invocation of St. Joseph. It is the oldest
chapel in Livingston parish. In the early years all records
were kept in French, some are still in the rectory office.

The
original alter was wood painted white with gold trim. a portion
of the old altar is used at times during the year for honoring
the blessed Virgin Mary. Father L.J. Dery, a long time pastor
here, built the two-story rectory, the CCD center and convent
in the rear to house religious sister. It was later remodeled
into four class rooms and two more class rooms were added. We
now have a large church hall which was built in 1990. It has a
large community hall, kitchen, restrooms and three classrooms.

Masses
Saturday 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church
5:30 p.m. at St. William Catholic Church in Port Vincent
Sunday 8 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Head of Island
9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church

CCD ClassesWednesday 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church

Baptisms
Second weekend of the month

Adult Religion Classes
7 p.m. Wednesdays

First Baptist Church
16735 LA Hwy. 16
French Settlement, LA 70733First Baptist Church Website
Tommy Shipp, pastor
664-8484
First Baptist Church was established on February 14, 1954
with 16 members. The original sanctuary was dedicated on
September 5, 1955. The present sanctuary was occupied in 1992.

Sunday Bible study is provided for all ages. Sunday School
begins at 9:50. Sunday evening classes begin at 6 p.m. Weekly
worship services are held at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. A nursery is
available for children three years old and younger for all
Sunday Services. Wednesday evening classes begin at 6 p.m.
standard time or 7 p.m. daylight saving time. Guest are welcome
at all times.

We have since added a large pavilion behind that
hall. There is a cemetery behind the church, on church property
and an older community cemetery across the street. There are
some very old graves in there and the names on most are still
family names present in our community today, Aydell, Matherne,
Brignac. Within recent years two mausoleums have been built on
the property behind the church in the church cemetery.

Father James Kinkead is the first diocesan priest assigned to
this parish and has been here since 1986. He is a native of
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At the present we have approximately
500 Catholic families in the area and about 200 children attend
the CCD program.

Library, Pavillion and Schools

The French Settlement Branch of the Livingston Parish Library
closed in 2007. A new branch opened at:

Police Department

Harry Brignac has served as the French Settlement Chief of
Police since 1984. He was the President of the SE Chief's
Association in 1997 and 2001 and was also the Secretary
Treasurer for the State Association of Chief's of Police. On
July 12, 2003, Chief Brignac was sworn in as President of the
La. Association of Chiefs of Police.

TO PROTECT AND SERVE

DISPATCHER225-686-2241

Lawrence CallenderAssistant Chief of Police

Lawrence Callender has served Chief Brignac as Assistant
Chief since 1985 as FS-2. He is a certified Louisiana Emergency
Manager (LEM), a standing member of the International
Association of Chiefs of Police and active in the Louisiana
Chief's of Police Southeast Task Force. He was a former Deputy
Director with the Livingston Parish Office of Homeland
Security. Full Bio

Lawrence E. Callender LEM Bio

Currently in 30th year serving
as Assistant Chief of Police for the French Settlement
Police Department interacting with the Louisiana State
Police, Livingston Parish Sherriff’s Office, New
Orleans Police Department, Governor’s Office of
Homeland Security, Livingston Parish Office Homeland
Security, The New York State Police, many additional
state and local agencies. He is a member of the
International Association of Chiefs of Police,
Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police and active
with the Louisiana Chiefs of Police Southeast Task
Force in disaster response.Lawrence has deployed to outside Law Enforcement
request, floods, hurricanes, The BP Oil Spill and
various emergencies since the 80’s. He was recognized
for these efforts by Dow, the Louisiana House and
Senate, LEPA, The Amite River Basin Commission and
local government.

Designed the Dow's Louisiana
Emergency Operations Full Scale Emergency Exercises for
all hazards (including OPA 90 for Worse Case Scenarios
on a 3 year cycle) and facilitated as the Exercise Lead
Controller in all Operation Units since 1991.
Throughout his career he remained an active member of
the Louisiana Operations Emergency Response, EMS and
Fire Brigade.

He leveraged Homeland Security
concerns, issues and strategies withLouisiana
State Police, leveraging “Lessons Learned” with the New
York State Police and The Dow Chemical Company.A certified Louisiana Emergency Manager (LEM),
past Board Member with the Louisiana Emergency
Preparedness Association active with the Board.

Served as Deputy Director 2001-2006 with the Livingston
Parish Office of Homeland Security in association with
Dow Chemical and French Settlement PD (including
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita) charged by the LPHLS as a
Special Ops Director in the Livingston Parish’s
humanitarian relief efforts to 9 Louisiana Parishes
including (New Orleans), Mississippi and Texas. He
specifically responded at the request New Orleans
Police Department embedding for 60 days. These included
assets from the LPSO, FSPD, Arizona National Guard 855
MP’s (federal aid) and RAM (Remote Air Medical) 75
Doctors/Nurses/ Medics and air transport/equipment from
The Dow Chemical Company. These efforts were recognized
on the U.S. White House Lesson's Learned Site, 'Things
that went right".
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned/appendix-b.html

Lawrence is a Volunteer for Science with the United
States Geological Survey (USGS) inventing the Flood
Tracking Map in use across the US.
For these
efforts Lawrence was awarded the John Wesley Powell
Award, the USGS’s highest national award presented by
the Secretary of the Interior. He is also an Observer
for the National Weather Service specializing in the
Amite River Basin.

Appointed by the Governor of Louisiana to the Amite
River Basin Commission serving 10 years including
President of the Board in construction of an ongoing
congressionally $188 million dollar mandated project.
Leveraged
federal and local partners leading communication
strategies with Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation to
jump start the project.